Author's note: Thank you for your reviews on the last chapter. They made me so happy. Here is the new chapter. It was fun for me to write it. Please don't hate me for the last sentence. We are at the seven day. Will Jane win the bet? I will reveal it on the next chapter. Till next time. Hope you like it. :)
Jane arrived early the next day to pick them up. Lisbon let out a sigh and looked beside to her daughter. Charlotte was smiling and she wanted to go to the carnival. She was exciting from the moment Jane had asked them to come along with him. Lisbon was hesitated but she agreed. She couldn't refuse his proposal when she saw Charlotte's begging eyes.
After a fifty minutes ride, they reach to their destination. Charlotte jumped out of the car and Lisbon walked to her side and took her hand. The moment they entered the carnival, Jane began to talk and greeted people. Some of them looked at Lisbon and Charlotte with a weird expression and other just made a small polite conversation with them.
"Let's see. What do you want first to do?" Jane asked softly Charlotte.
"I want to see Daisy." Charlotte replied enthusiastically.
"Okay. Let's go to find my friends Sam and Pete then." Jane responded and leaded the way.
"You seem to like and fit with the people here. Why did you leave?" Lisbon asked calm.
"Well..." Jane began and let a sigh "Carnies are good people but you know you're either with the show or you're not. There's nowhere in the middle. And if you're not with the show, then you're a mark. You are a sucker. And I didn't like that." Jane explained . "They are gonna tell you're a cop. Be prepare for it."
"Really? People very rarely guess I'm a cop." Lisbon said with disbelief.
"Patrick Jane. Son of a bitch." a man voice came from behind them and they turned to look.
Jane and the old man laughed at each other and they hugged happily.
"I heard you work with police but I didn't believe it. But you are here with a real one." the old man said looking at Lisbon. "And who is that little cute one?" he continued showing Charlotte.
"Pete, this is my good friend Teresa Lisbon and her daughter Charlotte. " Jane explained smiling at them.
"If you are with Jane, I guess you are okay with me." Pete replied and offered Lisbon his hand for handshaking.
"Thanks. " Lisbon responded composed.
"You know, I haven't seen you for a while." Pete said referring to Jane.
"Well, you know. Business." Jane responded calm.
"Yeah, I know. So, what brings you here?" he asked and he noted them to follow him.
"I wanted to see you and I promised to Charlotte to show her Daisy."
Pete let a laugh and knocked the door of a airstream.
"Hey, Sam. Come on out here. I got a surprise for you, honey." Pete said loudly and the door opened.
"Oh, look at you." Jane said and opened his hands to hug Sam but she gave him a slap.
"Aaah, what was that for?" Jane asked caressing his cheek.
"Detroit." she snapped at him
"Oh, yeah. Fair enough." Jane agreed with her.
"So, what's with the state trooper?" Sam asked serious crossing her arms on her chest. "And who is that little girl?"
"Yeah, it's like unreal, huh? A Jane working with the law." Pete said sarcastic.
"How do I look like a cop?" Lisbon asked curious.
"Oh, please. Look like Cagney and Lacey had a baby, called it Pepper." Sam replied and Pete laughed. "Well, it's good to see you Patrick but the police is the police. No offense."
"None taken." Lisbon responded calm.
"Honey, She is here as a friend. Don't be rude. Well, why don't we take that little cute girl here and Pepper and show her the elephant?" Pete said smiling to Charlotte who was hiding behind her mother.
"We would love to see the elephant, right sweetheart?" Lisbon said loving to Charlotte.
"Come on. Right this way." Pete said and leaded the way leaving behind them Jane with Sam.
"Her name is Daisy." Pete said when they approached the big animal.
"She is cute." Charlotte giggled.
"She is a mean old girl. She'd run down her own kids for an apple."
"No." Charlotte sais terrified and Pete laughed and sat down beside Daisy on a stone.
"Come on here." Pete said and offered his hand to Charlotte. "Give her one apple."
Charlotte took an apple and Pete helped her feed Daisy. Lisbon smiled at the image and stayed silent.
"You two get along. You can take her home with you." Pete said and Lisbon shook negative her head to Charlotte with a serious expression.
"Do you want one?" Pete asked and threw an apple to Lisbon. Lisbon caught it and gave it to Daisy.
Meanwhile:
Jane and Sam watched them leaving and Sam let out a breath. She made a nod and got into the airstream. Jane followed her and close the door behind him. He sat down to the small couch and Sam walked to the kitchen and putted the kettle on the stove.
"I'm glad you're doing okay. You are doing okay, aren't you?" Sam spoke first looking at Jane carefully.
"Oh yeah." Jane responded with a small smile. He missed them. Sam and Pete were the only people who felt like a family to him.
"What's the story with Pepper and the little girl?" Sam asked softly and took the kettle off the stove and offered him a cup of tea.
"She is a friend of mine. I thought it could be nice to bring them here. Charlotte seemed exciting about it." Jane replied lightly and took a sip from his tea.
"And by having the little girl on your side, you can also gain the mother, right?" San asked with a smile.
"It's complicated. I need to make her trust me. Open to me. And I run out of time."
"I don't even want to know." Sam said serious. "But be careful Paddy. She seems nice and Charlotte is so adorable. Don't hurt her. Do whatever you had to do. But keep your eyes open."
"I don't want to hurt them. I will try to close it as much painless I can." Jane replied serious.
"Are you sure, you want to finish it?"
"What do you mean?" Jane asked puzzled.
"I can see how you looked at them. Paddy, I saw you with many woman on your side. You never had that little shine on your eyes for them like when you looked Pepper before."
"I don't have feelings for her." Jane snorted. "I like her but as a friend. As a person. "
"Okay. I may be wrong. You know better. But mark my words Patrick. Nothing good will come from this. And you need the love and the care of a good woman to keep you in line." Sam scoffed. "Come on. Let's go to find your friends now."
Jane found them and laughed at the scene. Charlotte played with Daisy's proboscis. Lisbon and Pete were talking beside her and they stopped when he approached them.
"Do you have fun with Daisy?" Jane asked smiling.
"Daisy likes her." Pete replied. "They fed her and Charlotte played with her."
"That's nice. Thanks Pete. Shall we? We have to visit more games and eat something too." Jane suggested.
Lisbon and Charlotte thanked them and left with Jane. They went to on the ferris wheel first and then to the bumper cars. Then they visited the haunted house and at the end the shooting gallery.
"You want a shot?" Jane asked Lisbon.
"No. No professionals Patrick. You know the rules." the man behind the counter said.
"It's good to see you George." Jane said warmly.
"Me too. Do you want to shoot and impress your lady cop?" George said and Lisbon laughed.
"I don't know..." Jane replied.
"I want to do it." Charlotte said and George smirked at her.
"Okay, George. Give her a gun." Jane said and Charlotte took her place.
Charlotte took the gun and aimed carefully. She knocked all the targets using all the bullets she had with the first effort. When she finished, she putted down the gun and smiled proudly.
"Wow. I never have seen a little girl like you. What prize do you want?" George said surprised and Charlotte pointed at the elephant.
"That. I want that." Charlotte replied and the man offered her the prize.
Lisbon and Jane smiled brightly and Charlotte hugged tight the stuffed elephant on her chest.
"That was... surprising." Jane said as they walked past the shooting gallery.
"I know. I didn't know she had it." Lisbon replied.
"Are you hungry?" Jane asked them "I am a little." Jane said and Charlotte nodded.
They sat down on a small table and they ordered junk food. Jane enjoyed spending time with them and he could see the same on Lisbon's and Charlotte's face. After they finished their lunch, Lisbon excused herself to visit the ladies room. Jane stayed with Charlotte who looked at him with a loving expression.
"Do you like the carnival?" Jane asked gentle.
"Yeah. I never came before. Thanks you." Charlotte chuckled.
Jane nodded and before he realized what happened, Charlotte went around the table and gave him a hug. Jane hugged her back kissing her hair and Charlotte released him after a minute.
"Can I ask a favor?" Charlotte said uneasily sitting back on her chair.
"Of course. What is it?" Jane asked calm.
"Do you want to be my daddy?" Charlotte asked him anxiously and Jane stayed speechless.
"You want me to be your father?" Jane said stunned and swallowed nervously.
"All my friends have one. I want to have one too." she replied with a sad tone and tears on her eyes.
"I will have to ask your mother first..." Jane responded trying to find words.
"Mommy will say no. she told me I can't have uncle Cho or Rigsby when I asked her." Charlotte said and lowered her eyes.
"Okay. I think I found a way. But it has to be our secret." Jane said serious and Charlotte looked at him. "I will be your father, even if your mother will refuse. It will be our little secret. What do you think?" Jane suggested and Charlotte smiled bright.
"Thanks." Charlotte said and hugged him one more time. Jane closed his eyes, trying to forget the squeeze he had on his heart. He hated the thought of hurting Charlotte's feelings but he couldn't bear the sadness on her eyes. He just hoped to find a way to fix it.
They stayed at the carnival a few more hours and Jane drove them back around nine at night. Charlotte was tired and she had slept during the ride. Jane helped Lisbon and putted her on her bed.
"Thanks you for everything today Jane." Lisbon said on her front door. "It was nice."
"Yeah, it was. Good night Teresa. I will see you tomorrow. " Jane smiled and he placed a kiss on her cheek.
"Tomorrow. Good night." Lisbon replied and she went inside and closed her front door.
Jane got in his car and looked at Lisbon's house. When she closed her door, he felt a wave of sadness. Sam's words came to his mind. Could he have feeling for Lisbon? He liked her but he was terrified to let himself love her. She was attractive and special. She was a mystery to him, a puzzle he needed to solve. He loved when he made her blushing. No, he couldn't let himself give in. Letting out a sigh, he started the car and drove to the first bar he knew. That night he didn't sleep alone on his apartment.